Over 10 years of operation, mobile laboratories have carried out 14,000 fuel checks at gas stations, collected and analyzed 73,000 samples of petroleum products. In total, they have traveled more than 2.2 million kilometers – that would be enough, for example, to circle the Earth at the equator 55 times.
Mobile laboratories, together with stationary ones, are structurally part of the TFC Fuel Testing Center – a modern facility that, in addition to the OKKO gas station network, also serves other external clients. In 2013, all laboratories were accredited according to the European standard ISO/IEC 17025:2006 "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories".
Over 10 years, more than 25 million hryvnias have been invested in ensuring the operation of mobile laboratories. Thanks to this, they are equipped with the most modern devices, many of which have no analogues in Ukraine. For example, Eraspec express analyzers, which can check gasoline for 18 parameters and diesel fuel for 5 parameters within 10-15 minutes. In addition, the laboratories include analyzers for the flash point of diesel fuel in a closed cup (Eraflash brand) and the cold filter plugging point of diesel fuel (Koehler brand), sulfur analyzers that can measure the sulfur content in petroleum products in accordance with the requirements of Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards, and other equipment. To avoid any malfunctions in the operation of this equipment and to maximally adapt it to functioning in mobile conditions, anti-vibration pads, air conditioning and exhaust systems are installed in the vehicles.
In the autumn of 2015, mobile laboratories became participants in a unique campaign by the OKKO network – in 8 cities of Ukraine at 77 gas stations, public express fuel tests were conducted for all interested motorists. Laboratory workers not only checked petroleum products for free, but also informed gas station guests about how each of the tested indicators affects the operation of car mechanisms, the environment, human health, etc.
"Mobile laboratories are an important link in the multi-stage fuel quality control system for our clients, among which is the OKKO gas station network with its 400 filling stations. And over 10 years, they have made a significant contribution to building the brand's reputation and trust in it," comments Alla Sydorovych, head of the TFC Fuel Testing Center. "After all, if a company constantly invests in fuel quality control, imports only high-quality European standard petroleum products, and carefully monitors all processes – from storage and transportation to fuel dispensing – drivers certainly notice and appreciate this."
